The National Snow and Ice Data Center, along with NASA, sponsored a teleconference. The subject of the teleconference was the “surprising and alarming new data from NASA’s ICESat satellite.” Over the past year “the steepest yearly decline in perennial [i.e. old, thick] ice on record”
“Yes, I know you’ve all heard we’ve had “record” refreezing of Arctic ice. Big shock, there. We had record melting followed by a temporary cooling La Niña event.” What the talking points from deniers/delayers omit telling you is that “the refrozen ice is very thin and still at record low levels following the staggering ice loss this summer.” On March 18 the scientists said they believe that the increased area of sea ice this winter is due to recent weather conditions, while the decline in perennial ice reflects the longer-term warming climate trend and is a result of increased melting during summer and greater movement of the older ice out of the Arctic. 
(Click on image to enlarge)
… the February 2008 Northern Hemisphere sea ice extent, which is measured from passive microwave instruments onboard NOAA satellites, was below the 1979-2000 mean, but greater than the previous four years. This was the fifth least February sea ice extent on record. Including 2008, the past five years had the least February sea ice extent since records began in 1979. Sea ice extent for February has decreased at a rate of 2.8%/decade (since satellite records began in 1979) as temperatures in the high latitude Northern Hemisphere have risen at a rate of approximately 0.37°C/decade over the same period.
The key point with which one should come away: the ice volume is ice area times ice thickness. The seasonal ice (1 year or less old) is thinner and will quickly melt away and disburse in the wind. This is global warming, folks!
(Clap! Clap! Clap!)
Joe is doing his best, Shaun of the Dead imitation.
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National Geographic Interactive: “Vanishing Sea Ice“